Stuck
by Texmaris
Summary: Life in Organization XIII is dull, but after a lab accident Zexion wonders whether dullness or taking care of the two new nobodies-- one is a snappy loner while the other is an arrogant idiot-- is better. Maybe he could manipulate them...
1. Accidents and a Strange Place

Stuck

Summary: After a lab accident, Zexion finds himself looking after the new servant and maid. The problem is, one is an arrogant idiot while the other is a snappy loner, but can he put this all in his advantage?

Disclaimer: I do not own KH.

I'm saying this just so some of you know: there will not be any pairings in this fanfic. There will be no ZexionOC, or any other 'real' character and original character pairings. This is just something I thought up in my free time... the truth is, I've been thinking of KH Zexion-centric fics since February 2007...

Chapter 1: Accidents and a Strange Place

"Are you sure this will work?"

Zexion, the Cloaked Schemer and the sixth member of Organization XIII, eyed the four beakers on the tabletop warily. The first was indigo and smoky, and radiated so that, if not for Vexen's ridiculously cold laboratory temperatures, it would melt anything within a two-feet radius. The second bubbled and looked identical to blood, but Zexion knew better; it smelled worse than blood (more like rotten eggs than rust). The third was as clear as water, but again, with his superb sense of smell, Zexion detected that it was anything but that. The last was... strange, to put it in words. The liquid was swirling, as if it was being stirred, and the color was constantly changing. It smelled like different herbs mixed with milk and... tomatoes. The beakers that contained the liquids were all half-full and in the center, and there was a larger beaker which was supposed to be where all of the items would be put in.

"It is merely a theory, so I'm not sure, but there's a high chance that this will succeed," answered Vexen as he read over his notes again. "The only step left is mixing them together at the same time now. Zexion, you pour in the indigo and red ones while I pour in the others."

It was only four hours earlier that Vexen had dragged Zexion from his haven (i.e. the library) to help him with an experiment that would have been out of question to perform by oneself. Well, 'dragged' would be an overstatement, since it only took Vexen about fifteen minutes to persuade the Cloaked Schemer. But that's beside the point. After four hours of toiling away in creating the potions and chemicals at hand, we finally reach the time right now, where Zexion is questioning whether or not to trust his 'friend'.

Despite this, Zexion nodded and walked over to the other side of the table. He glanced briefly at the shelf next to him. If this did not work, and causes an explosion instead, then all of the dangerous chemicals next to him would probably erupt as well, and Vexen's lab would be demolished. He was particularly worried about the brown, swirling liquid that smelled like a burning candle in the flask that was directly to the right of the large beaker, since it was almost full to the brim. Shaking his doubts out of his head, he snapped the safety goggles back on his head and pulled his gloves on tighter. Lifting up the two beakers, he looked up at Vexen, waiting for him to give the cue.

Vexen took in a breath. "All right... pour it now—"

BANG! "Hey, Vexy, we're back!" yelled Xigbar, most likely just to annoy the old scientist, and slammed open the laboratory door, and slammed it shut again. He and Xaldin had been on another mission, scouting to find more recruits (even though the total member count was already a total of 13 or 14).

Still pouring the liquids, Vexen jumped and accidentally hit the shelf, shaking it, and the brown liquid in the flask Zexion saw earlier tipped over. The brown chemical poured into the beaker while both Vexen and Zexion looked at it in alarm while _still_ pouring the liquids.

"Oh, great," muttered Zexion as Vexen cursed under his breath.

BAM! The chemical exploded, pushing Vexen and Zexion back, away from each other. Zexion was actually sent flying and landed on the ground, hard. Somewhere in the lab, beyond the chaos, he could hear Vexen crying for help and the door opening. He thought he saw the bulky silhouette of Lexaeus near where the door should've been before he blacked out.

¤-¤-¤-¤

Selene Bromine was, to say the least, irritated beyond belief.

The currently navy-haired girl was sitting, or rather, squatting in front of a large castle that seemed to be floating. Her mahogany eyes were surveying the castle, her frown deepening as she confirmed her whereabouts and thought that the pain that was going through her arm was enough to prove to her that this was most definitely _not_ a dream. Her black sweat jacket was stained with mud, though she could really care less, and she was sure her face looked just as dirty.

The fact that a specific person named Lio Brighton was next to her was enough torture, actually. He had short auburn hair, complete with bangs that ended just under his eyebrows, and golden eyes. He was gritting his teeth as he stared up at the castle, which both of them knew was the Castle that Never Was. He, too, was soaked in dirt, mud and the like, from his shoes up to his hair, though they appeared in odd patterns. Selene didn't hate him or anything, it's just that they were bitter rivals and for her to be stuck here with _him_ of all people... it was just really, really agonizing for her.

"So... how the heck did we end up in the World that Never Was?" asked Lio between grit teeth, standing up. Bits of dirt and mud fell off of him and smeared on his hands as he brushed his clothes to try and look more presentable. "For me, everything went by in a blur."

"Do I really have to tell you?" asked Selene in a riled tone as she too stood up and brushed herself. She ran her hands through her now swallowtail-like hair that refused to stay straight down. "Because I myself don't know half of it."

¤Flashback¤

"Lio, you're a complete idiot in science, you know that?"

"That's because you're great in it!"

"...you know, we learned how to do this _last year_."

"..."

Two teens were squabbling in a science lab, with a beaker in between them filled with a brownish liquid. The female had short, black hair that was tied in a mini-ponytail that barely reached her shoulders, and her brown eyes were fixed in a glower at the boy. The male had short dark brown hair that were parted in the middle of his head, and light brown eyes stuck in a glare for the moment.

"Come on, let's just get this over with," grumbled Selene as she stirred the brown liquid, adding a small amount of powder to it, causing it to turn a little blue. "Class will be over in fifteen minutes, and we've only finished half of the experiment." She sighed. "Why, of all people, did the teacher have to pair me up with _you_?"

Lio mumbled something that she couldn't catch before saying, in a more audible tone, "And I didn't want to be with the resident loner of the school anyway. Even if you're super-smart you never to speak to people."

"Yeah, and proud of it," retorted the girl, rolling her eyes. It was true; she didn't talk to people most of the time, and didn't bother socializing with her classmates unless it was necessary. Some don't even recognize her voice. She only voluntarily talks to the teachers and adults, since, to put it in her words, 'they're the only ones who can speak ten sentences and make sense.' Whether that proves she has a mature or picky mind is uncertain, but it wasn't hard to conclude that she was pretty strange. The former option (maturity) is more likely, however, seeing that her manner of speaking was more sophisticated than the average teenager.

"Whatever," grumbled the boy, rolling his eyes. He looked back at the directions. "Let's see... it says here to add some crushed Buddleia flowers. How the heck is that supposed to help us in this lab?!"

"Just do it; don't ask questions," growled Selene, though she was thinking the same thing. However, she just kept on doing her part of the lab, which was to do the mixing that a 'group 2' was supposed to do. She heard Lio mumble about not getting things at all, and she simply rolled her eyes this time. Glancing at his hands to make sure he was doing things correctly, she noticed that he was measuring the yellow items incorrectly.

"Hey, Lio, it's 5 grams, not 25 grams of Buddleia flowers," she stated, shaking her head. Too late, he already put in the yellow crystal-like powder.

Wait... crystal?

"LIO, YOU IDIOT, THAT'S SULFUR, NOT BUDDLEIA!!" she yelped, staring at the beaker in horror. His head jerked up in alarm, but not before the heated beaker exploded right in front of him. "AND DUCK, YOU MORON!" she yelled frantically, tackling him to help him _move out of the way_. It was in vain, though. As soon as she touched him, it felt like a thousand hands were squeezing the life out of her as she tensed her muscles. After letting out a strangled gasp, everything went black.

All that was left for the shocked class to stare at were a few shards of glass and a smoking magenta liquid.

¤End Flashback¤

"...oh, right," sighed Lio, sitting down on the ground in contemplation. "But that just raises a bunch of other questions that I'm thinking up..."

"Don't worry; I can already think of ten off the top of my head," responded the girl, frowning. "Like how did we get here, why did we come here, and how is this place existent? I thought this is supposed to be a video game, not real life." For a while, the two teenagers sat in silent, lost in their own thoughts, faces unreadable. They weren't bothered by the world's inhabitants, but they didn't bother the natives either.

After a while, Selene looked up at the castle, startled. She just came to a realization, and it wasn't one that she was particularly happy about. As she gazed at the yellow heart-shaped moon in the sky of this world, she concluded that it was the only possibility.

"Hey, Selene," said Lio, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned to him, and found that his face looked a little paler. "If we're in the World that Never Was almost unharmed, with changed appearances, then do you think...?"

Selene remained silent, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. "Yes," she murmured quietly, standing up. Her eyes were distant but hard, irritated but distressed as she stared at the flickering lights of the castle and the area around it. She felt Lio get up beside her, his eyes reflecting the look in hers.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, looking as if he wanted to blink back tears. "Is there no mistake?"

"If I was wrong, then we should be panicking right around now," she answered coolly. She started walking towards the castle in dream-like steps, her unbound hair flowing harshly behind her. "Yes," she whispered again. "We're nobodies."

¤-¤-¤-¤

Zexion groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The light was blinding him, and the chatter had died down from around him as soon as he moved. As soon as his eyes got adjusted to the light, he turned his head to the side to find that Vexen was already there impatiently with Lexaeus and Xemnas. This time, he inwardly groaned. No doubt the Superior would want an explanation as to why he's in this state right now... hopefully, Vexen had already explained to him. From the look on Xemnas' face, Vexen did.

"Awake, I see," stated Xemnas. "Number IV had already told me what had happened, and the reason why you were knocked out for the last six hours." Zexion looked up at the clock behind the two elders, and found that it six hours did indeed pass. "But tell me," continued the Superior, "did any changes occur that you are aware of."

"I did not detect anything while I was _unconscious_," answered Zexion, who couldn't help but emphasize the last word. "I apologize, but I have no idea what happened in the past six hou..." He stopped talking abruptly, glancing out the window. His eyebrows furrowed, he pushed aside the curtains more to get a better view of what was outside. With Vexen and Xemnas silently watching in the background, he stood up (nobody would've guessed he was unconscious mere minutes ago) and opened the window. A small gust of wind blew in, causing Zexion to involuntarily shiver. Nevertheless, he was able to confirm his suspicion as he saw two dots in the horizon.

"What is it?" asked Vexen, raising an eyebrow. "Have you discover something?"

"...yes," answered the schemer, eyes squinting to get a better look at the two objects in the distance whom were slowly getting closer. "Two new nobodies."

There was a brief silence in the room as the other two took in this information. Swiftly, Vexen was in front of the window after five seconds and he, too, squinted his eyes. "Merciful darkness, he's right," he breathed, the Superior coming up beside him. (Okay, I couldn't think of anything other than 'merciful darkness'...) "We have indeed found two new full-fledge nobodies."

"Interesting," said Xemnas, nodding his head. "We will have to recruit them; strong nobodies are hard to come by these days." As soon as he said that, though, one of the figures fell over and didn't get up. The other immediately ran to his/her side and was futilely trying to revive him/her.

"...Number VI, go and tell Number IX to meet them and, by any means necessary, recruit them," he commanded, then paused. "You go along with him. I wouldn't want him to burn them alive and make them fade beforetime."

"Yes, sir," grumbled Zexion automatically in a monotone, and opened a corridor of darkness.

¤-¤-¤-¤

"Selene! Wake up or I'll resort to punching you!" yelled Lio, shaking Selene's shoulders roughly. No response, except for her strained breathing and irregular pulse. Wait, but they weren't supposed to have hearts... well, whatever the reason that caused them to have pulses, she was still unconscious and being alone in a new world wasn't a calming feeling. Truthfully, he wasn't alone since there were other nobodies around and Selene had merely fainted, but he felt alone. Wait, but that was wrong too, since they weren't supposed to have emotions...

Lio shook his head to clear his thoughts. Apart from all the controversy he was feeling inside revolving around the states of nobodies, he was slightly worried about his companion. Sure, they were rivals, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel compelled to help her. Beside, she actually looked vulnerable and helpless in this state instead of her usual pensive and cold-air-emitting self, which made it easier for him to help her. After about five more minutes of using various methods to wake her (including punching, nudging her with his foot, poking her with a stick, yelling in her ear, flicking her forehead and pulling her hair), he finally checked her pulse again. To his alarm, it was slowing down, and, scared out of his wits, seriously considered doing CPR. Until...

"She's in a worse state than I thought," observed a voice behind him. Lio jumped up, alarmed, and readied himself for an attack. Instead, he was met with the sight of two men in black cloaks. The silver-haired one who spoke earlier, was already giving her a pondering stare, as if he was able to assess a person's health simply by looking at them. The blonde rolled his eyes.

"Zexy, if this is worse than you thought, then what did you exp— OW!!" yelled the younger as a book collided with his head. Unfazed, Zexion withdrew his book and it disappeared, waiting to be called for later use.

"I've told you not to call me that," he scolded. "You and Axel annoy me to no end..."

"...uh, can you two please tell me where the medication is? I think Selene is dying," stated Lio in a voice calmer than he felt. "Unless you have some method of reviving her, that is."

"We'll get your friend back in due time," answered the calmer man, hoisting Selene up like a sack of potatoes. Lio blinked and looked aggravated.

"Hey! Don't do that to her—" He was cut off when Zexion hit him with his lexicon and knocked him out.

Rolling his eyes, he turned to Demyx. "Hoist him up and follow me. We're bringing him to the Superior. He's in the infirmary," he explained curtly. He opened a corridor of darkness and Demyx followed right after, grumbling something about not being told the whole mission in the beginning.

¤-¤-¤-¤

"So I take it that the potion did work despite the added element?" questioned Xemnas, eyeing the Academic.

"I'd hate to say this, but I'm actually grateful that Xigbar barged in at that time," grumbled Vexen, and nodded. "I didn't think that creating a temporary corridor would be that easy... but it took a toll on those two." He glanced back out the window, where the four nobodies had been moments before. "I imagine that an added 'bonus' to using the corridor would mean that the body and heart are separated. I have no idea where their hearts have gone to, but I believe that something strange would have happened to them as well."

"Whatever the reason, we'll have to survey those two closely. Who knows who they were before this... and who they are now?"

¤-¤-¤-¤

A/N: How did you like it? Were the characters too OOC? I would appreciate it if you told me if I made some mistakes in the concepts... just don't comment on Lio second-guessing the states of nobodies. I have a reason for that. But anyway, should I continue this? ...and is this idea already taken by somebody?

This is the first KH fic that I'm posting even though it's probably the... seventh or so that I've started. KH fic, that is. I also started a bunch of other fanfics, but the chance of me posting them are slim to none.

I honestly have no idea why anybody would need crushed buddleia flowers in a science class, nor why they would want sulfur.

I'm trying to keep this Zexion-centric and not Lio- or Selene-centric. I have a very general outline right now of the story...


	2. This is Going to be a Long Day

Stuck

Disclaimer: I do not own KH.

...seriously. No reviews and favorites, one alert and 34 hits. I really need to work on my plot ideas. I know that the beginning of this chapter is in Selene's POV, but the rest of it is in semi-Zexion POV.

Chapter 2: This is Going to be a Long Day...

-Dream Sequence: Selene-

I look around, perplexed. This is strange... suddenly, I find myself at the crossroads. Before I could decide which path to take, however, my feet moved on their own and chose the left path, which actually looked less inviting than the other. I blinked. What's going on? Perhaps this is a dream... no, I'm sure I'm dreaming. And then I'll wake up and find that the lab incident never happened...

I stop dead in my tracks and star. In front of me is my home city, in ruins. I blink. This is impossible... I am certain that this is a dream now. There is no way that my home city, which is a well-known place might I add, could be in ruins.

_Whish_

What was that? I turn, but find only a colorless expanse behind me. No path was found. Gulping, I turn back to the city and begin to sweat. But there's no other way... I suck in a breath and walk towards the ruined buildings, making a mental note to forget this dream later on. This cannot bode well.

_You who seeks freedom..._

I jump and turn. I'm trying to say, "WHO'S THERE?!", but no sound is willing to come out of my muted throat. What's going on? Muscles tense, I clench my fists and wait for the worst to happen.

_You know who I am..._

"No I don't!" I wanted to yell, but again, no sound would come out. I grit my teeth; this is getting really annoying.

_Oh... but you do._

A gnarled, bony hand is suddenly gripping my shoulder, and I attempt to yelp in surprise. Not scream. I haven't screamed for about three years. But that's beside the point. After all, all thoughts are erased from my mind as I lay my eyes on the hooded figure in front of me. No, it isn't an Organization member, unless he is able to float a foot above the ground, wears a flowing robe-like piece of clothing and carries a very large scythe. Wait, Marluxia uses a scythe, but his is pink and green, not black and silver.

Needless to say, the Grim Reaper in front of me is very terrifying.

I am frozen in fear. You can't blame me for that, you know, since this is a dream. I'm sure of it. The Grim Reaper's hand is gripping my shoulder harder and he leans in, his face still not visible under his hood. His ice cold breath is piercing my skin, and I'm starting to shake. Darn it. This is becoming a nightmare...

_You've been suppressing me for too long..._

"How so?" I mouth, trying to glare at him... or her. Whatever the Grim Reaper's gender is (for all I know, he could be an 'it'), they still won't get away from me.

_I am not who I appear to be..._

"Then who are you?" I asked mutely, frustrated. Okay, maybe the Grim Reaper isn't as scary now, but he is really getting on my nerves. "Quit talking in riddles and tell me."

_But where is the fun in that?_

I swear, this one needs to go through Grim school or something. He is not at all scary and... wait, is it just me, or is he turning two-dimensional? He is... oh, merciful Lord, please tell me that he did _not_ just turn into my shadow. This is actually getting disturbing. And the shadow is rising and becoming a pitch-black version of me, which does not bode well.

_Having fun? I know I am..._

Like the Grim Reaper, my Shadow is walking towards me, what should be her face turning towards mine. She grabs my arms and pulls me close to her. I stare at her in horror.

_What's wrong? Afraid to show others your other self?_

"...shut up," I grumble/mouth. I try to shake her off, but my body won't let me. I think it's because she's my shadow. But regardless, she still let go after a moment. I am about to say a sarcastic thank you but I have a feeling that she's smirking. It didn't take me long to figure out why. Suddenly, a pair of arms is wrapping around my shoulders, and I immediately turn around. The person's face is hidden, but I can feel their ironlike grip and I doubt that it's a hug. He/She is restraining me. "LET GO OF ME!" I attempt to yell, kicking the person. However, my leg went right through their body, as if they were a ghost. But that can't be. They're holding onto me right now...

_Panicking, are we? Scared that the stranger will hurt you?_

My annoying shadow just had to point out the obvious, didn't she? But she is right. But then again, that might have something to do with the fact that she was barely an inch away from me. Before I know it, she's inside of me, and I'm feeling cold right now...

¤-¤-¤-¤

"GET OUT OF ME!!" yelled a half-conscious nobody as she aimed a kick randomly. Zexion, who was completely unprepared for this attack and stood next to her bed, was sent flying halfway across the room in surprise and landed with a thud. The whole room was silent as the Schemer got up, disgruntled, and glared at the newly-made nobody.

"That was an interesting reaction," stated Vexen flatly, glancing at the monitor. Her pulse had become normal again, but she was breathing rather quickly. "But she's not going to fade, I can assure you all that."

"...uh, what she said sounded wrong," commented Demyx, making a face. Zexion, who arrived at the two beds, rolled his eyes. Leave it to the most laid-back of the Organization to make a completely inappropriate comment at that time. But true to Vexen's word, that girl really wasn't fading, and her eyes were slowly opening. Suddenly, the girl (he remembered that the boy called her 'Selene') snapped her eyes open and turned her head to the left, where the four nobodies were staring at her. She quickly turned her head back and slammed her eyes shut, muttering things like 'this is a dream' and 'I am not stuck here in a fictional world'...

The nobodies exchanged glances. Fictional world? Sure, they were supposed to be nonexistent, but "fictional" would be pushing it. Xemnas was the first to speak. "On the contrary," he stated, making Selene tense up in alarm, "this is quite real and I doubt that we are fictional." Slowly, the girl turned her head back at him, wide-eyed. Her mahogany eyes stared at him almost unblinkingly in shock; even he, the Superior, felt mildly uncomfortable under her gaze.

"...I'm a nobody now?" she asked. Again, she surprised the group. She knew about nobodies?

"...yes, you are," stated Vexen, scribbling the words 'KNOWS ABOUT NOBODIES' on his clipboard. "Welcome to Organization XIII," he added in a monotone. The girl just shifted her stare to him, though this time, her mouth was agape. Vexen went back to his clipboard, and stated, 'CAN IMITATE EMOTIONS VERY WELL'. He glanced up; she was still gawking at him. He added to his notes, 'FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME'.

"**WHAT**?!" she shouted, hitting and cracking the headboard in two in the process when she accidentally leaned back. There was another silence in the room as the four organization members stared at the now-useless bed headboard. Vexen, who recovered first, scribbled, 'AND HAS A HARD HEAD'. Zexion, who was watching him write the whole time, was the second to snap out of it and rolled his eyes. He glanced back at the girl, but noticed that she had promptly fainted again.

"We may have to check her for a concussion this time," observed Xemnas, and stood up. "Inform me when she wakes up. Demyx, you are dismissed. Vexen and Zexion, I would like you two to continue watching over our two... guests." With that, the Superior created a portal and exited the vicinity, followed by Demyx, who was giving curious looks at the now-unconscious girl. Sighing, Vexen wrote down a few more notes on her reaction and gingerly set the clipboard down, going back to monitoring her condition.

Zexion examined the headboard, making a mental note to ask Lexaeus to fix that later after his workout period. He glanced at the boy whom he knocked out with his lexicon earlier; his state was more stable, but he was still out cold. Also, he had no doubt that the boy, too, was a nobody. He still had a heartbeat, but his intellectual, spiritual, soulful (or whatever you'd like to call it) heart was gone. After all, without the physical heart, the vessel cannot live. This is true even for nobodies. After all, they are the discarded imprint of the _bodies_ of the previously whole beings, contrary to their name. Just like how 'heartless' are actually composed of a person's heart that is swallowed by darkness.

(Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

"Ugh..." Zexion turned to the source of the groan, and, unsurprisingly, the boy from earlier was stirring. His pulse, which had been irregular since he was knocked out, was normal again. Unlike his companion, he sat up slowly and opened his eyes one by one. He then blinked twice, and turned his head towards Zexion and Vexen. Then, he blinked some more and, like his companion, stated bluntly, "I am in a dream right now, aren't I?"

Vexen's eye twitch in annoyance. "No, this is reality, yes, you are a nobody, welcome to Organization XIII, and don't faint again like your little friend here," he stated in one breath, jabbing a thumb towards Selene. When the scientist said 'yes', the boy had his mouth open, but shut it abruptly. Then, he followed Vexen's thumb to his fallen comrade and gasped. He jumped up before the two other nobodies could stop him and was by her side in a heartbeat.

"Selene. Selene! Wake up or I'll have to punch you... again!" he yelled, shaking her violently. Sighing, Zexion went up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. The boy turned around again and looked up... er, down, since he was taller than Zexion by about an inch.

"She simply fainted," the Schemer stated, rolling his eyes. "She should be up in an hour or so. I imagine that the idea of being a nobody had overwhelmed her, as that was the last thing we told her before she became unconscious. But just for the record... how did she break the headboard just by slamming her head against it?" he questioned, gesturing towards the cracked piece of furniture.

The boy sweat dropped. "Uh, I don't think that was intentional," he stated, shrugging. "I guess that I'll just watch out for her headbutts from now on..."

"I see." Zexion turned to him and extended his hand. "Zexion, number six of the organization."

"I'm Lio Brighton and this is Selene Bromine," answered the boy with a sheepish smile, pointing at his friend with one hand and taking Zexion's with the other. "So... what are we supposed to do?"

"First," stated Vexen, making the boy jump, "we will have to wait for Bromine to wake up. It will save the trouble of repeating things if we just explain everything when both of you are conscious. I am Vexen, number four of the Organization." He turned back to his clipboard before pausing. "Hold on. Isn't Bromine an element?"

"How am I supposed to know?" asked Lio, snorting. "We're strictly rivals, and we don't ask each other about personal things like where we got our last names from."

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "From the way you acted towards her when she was unconscious, I would've guessed that you two were siblings, or at least good friends," he observed. Lio turned slightly pink and mumbled something about not helping but worry about anybody who needs help. Zexion shook his head. So they're so rival-like that they've developed a close bond, huh...?

¤-¤One Hour Later¤-¤

"Ugh..."

"She's waking up," murmured Zexion, drawing the attention of the other two to the groggy female. She silently shook her head a few times as if to clear it before she looked around the room, this time with a calmer face on. She seemed slightly surprised to find Vexen and Zexion there, but she did give Lio a small nod of recognition.

She turned back to the two 'veterans', this time with a more sullen look on her face that suggested that she had had a long battle in her mind while she was asleep. "Okay. I accept the fact that I'm in the headquarters of Organization XIII and that I am currently a nobody, as is Lio over here," she stated monotonously, crossing her arms. Vexen raised an eyebrow. Zexion guessed that he was wondering how she became so accepting through her sleep, but he decided not to say anything. Sighing, Selene stood up to brush her clothes free of dust, but in the process glanced at Zexion and blinked. "Is it just me, or are you only an inch taller than me...?" Zexion rolled his eyes. Why did his height matter?

For the next fifteen minutes, Zexion and Vexen explained to Lio and Selene almost everything about the Organization before they started asking questions. If anything, the two 'guests' looked _bored_, as if they had already known everything about them, from their goals to the names of each and every member. Still, the two politely listened. Actually, Selene politely listened and whenever Lio was about to yawn or cut in, she kicked him to make him keep quiet. _Now _they were acting more like rivals.

"Now that you know the basics," stated Vexen, setting his clipboard down, "we're supposed to bring you to Xemnas so he can decide what we're to do with you two." He swiftly got up and then paused, as if pondering something. "You two don't know how to make a corridor of darkness yet, right?"

"We've been nobodies for less than twelve hours. I'd be surprised if anybody would be able to create one in such a short amount of time," stated Selene in a bored tone. Her smart-aleck comment earned her a glare from Vexen, but he said nothing in response. Instead, he opened a corridor, and Zexion followed suit. Without hesitation, Lio stepped through the corridor Vexen created and Selen through Zexion's. All four then found themselves in front of what could be called an office, and a certain silver-haired man sat across from them.

"Sir," greeted Selene and Lio, though the former did so emotionlessly while the latter looked at him with some sort of distrust or uncertainty.

"Selene Bromine and Lio Brighton, is it?" asked Xemnas, eyeing the two with interest. Selene gave a stiff nod while Lio tried to crack a smile. No such luck. "Good. And I trust that Numbers IV and VI have already told you about the basics?" Again, they nodded. "Then, to put things bluntly, I would appreciate it if you two would join the organization."

"WHAT?!" yelled both skeptically, causing Xemnas, Zexion and Vexen to recoil slightly away from them in surprise. The two teenagers glanced at each other, as if surprised that they agreed on something, but Selene was the first to speak.

"With all due respect sir," she stated, trying to sound reasonable, "isn't this a bit sudden? You have no idea who we are other than our names, and besides, you have no idea what our abilities are and how we will get along with the others. I mean, so far, we have only met four members, and even though we seem to get along well enough with you four, who knows what will happen with the others?" However, that wasn't her real motive. She did not want to disrupt the world, even though she and Lio were probably already disrupting it simply by being there. Furthermore, this was still Organization XIII. She knew that the fourteenth member, whoever she was, needed to be number XIV soon, not number XVI.

Xemnas raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you propose?" he asked, resting his chin and the rest of the lower part of his face on his folded hands. His pensive eyes went between the two nobodies, as if trying to find out their true motives without having to actually ask.

"...that we become the servant and maid?" suggested Lio. Everything seemed to freeze in the room after he said that. He was mostly receiving 'are you crazy' looks from the other four, minus Xemnas who just looked on with slight amusement. He shrugged and shifted uncomfortably on his spot. "Hey, it's worth a try. I mean, some of you guys may not be the cleanest and we could work here and in exchange, get a roof over our heads. Heck, we'll even do some missions if you really need to, but I'm mainly thinking about being servants and maids."

There was a very long silence in the room as the four others considered his idea. Selene was a lot more doubting of this idea, it seemed to Zexion, probably because she would be forced to be the 'maid'. He almost felt pity for her, since she was practically dragged into this agreement. Well, if Xemnas agrees, that is...

"...I suppose that would not hurt," the Superior said slowly, eyeing the two new nobodies warily, as if considering whether or not this is all a trick. "However, let me ask, why do you two want to be in this organization in the first place?"

"It's either this, or dying," snorted Selene. Her little comment caused all of the other nobodies to turn towards her with mixed expressions. Zexion looked curious while Vexen gave her an irritated scowl. As for Lio, it was now his turn to give her an 'are you crazy' look, while Xemnas remained fairly impassive and calm, if not slightly interested. The only female in the room rolled her eyes. "Well, come on. You can't deny the fact that you would probably interrogate, torture or kill anybody who opposes you... or should I say, _could_ probably interrogate, etc. You guys have the power. Actually," she added, "it wouldn't actually be 'dying'. I guess we'd fade, since technically, we're already dead. Besides, it's not like the two of us have anywhere else to go and be welcomed."

"You have a point," agreed the Superior, to Zexion's slight shock. He would have thought that Xemnas would have taken a slight offense at her words, but apparently, the man was impressed by her analyzing skills, not that her short monologue proved much about her character other than her cynical point of view. Xemnas stood up, and eyed the two teens before he turned to Vexen and Zexion. "Number IV analyze the data that you have acquired during the period that these two were knocked out. Number VI, you will be the chaperones for these two, since you seem to be more responsible than most of the others." Zexion blinked. _What_ did he say? Did he just ask him, one of the original six, to babysit the _maid and servant_? "Your first task is to show them the kitchen and then give them a tour of the castle. I will send somebody to you later to give you further instructions. Dismissed." Without giving them a chance to say another word, he created a corridor of darkness and disappeared.

"...I'll be in my lab," muttered Vexen as he exited the room via portal (Which is what I will now call the corridors of darkness for convenience' sake).

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room as Zexion pondered how he should follow the Superior's orders. Perhaps he should just introduce the members as he went along, and that would be better than going to each room, knocking on their doors and introducing the two neophytes. Sighing in resignation, he began creating a portal. "Come on; you two are hungry, are you not?" he asked emotionlessly. As if on cue, Lio's stomach growled and he flushed slightly. Rolling her eyes, Selene stepped through the portal after Zexion, and Lio followed soon after. There was only one thing that ran through all of their minds.

'_This is going to be a LONG day...'_

¤-¤-¤-¤

...I'm not getting much motivation for this story. Helping Artemis with those Naruto stories is a bit easier, but to those who actually like this story, I'm not going to leave this one unfinished. I've been interested in Zexion since about a year and a half ago, when a classmate of mine introduced me to Organization XIII (I never paid much attention to them before because I only played KH:CoM). However, my interest in Kingdom Hearts fluctuates a lot. So, don't expect consistent updates (though I'll do my best).

Over 3000 words not including Author's notes... that's more than last time.

Anyway, enough with my rambling; I would appreciate reviews. I know that not many people read fics with Ocs in them. Constructive criticism is welcome. And, happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrate it.


	3. Day One in the World that Never Was

Stuck

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I solely own Selene Bromine and Lio Brighton.

A/N: ...can anybody tell me why Xaldin is always portrayed as the cook?

Chapter 3: Day One in the World that Never Was

The trio proceeded to the kitchens, where they found Xaldin cooking something. With his superior sense of smell, Zexion was able to deduce that what Xaldin was cooking was edible, and strolled in to talk with his colleague. After a few minutes of persuasion, Xaldin finally agreed to make something for them as well. He had nothing else to do at that moment, anyway.

"..."

The three ate in silence, contemplating on what to say next or they simply thought of their current situation. Zexion was trying to think of a way to make the tour as short and concise as possible, and possibly drag somebody along with them so he wouldn't have to endure hours on end with two new nobodies by himself. Then, all he would need to do was wait for orders from Xemnas, and hopefully, it wouldn't take long.

"...where are we staying?" The voice snapped Zexion out of his thoughts and he looked up at the girl, who was looking at him nonchalantly, to his slight surprise. The Schemer didn't expect her to adjust so quickly to the environment, as she didn't even pretend to have emotions for the time being. That couldn't be said for her friend... no, 'rival', though. He looked at him with curiosity in his eyes and he was clearly anticipating an answer (but that'd be obvious).

"I do not know," answered Zexion curtly as he flipped through his lexicon (which Lio was looking at warily, having been knocked out by it once already) since he finished his food. "I imagine that it would be something that the Superior would tell us when he gives me further instructions on what to do with you two. Most likely, you will get the rooms beside Roxas."

"Ah." The girl returned to her food, satisfied with his answer.

They were silent for the next ten minutes, where Zexion waited for the two neophytes to stop eating. Selene was the first to finish, and was a bit more impatient with Lio. The three left the kitchens shortly afterwards. Lio was grumbling how Selene was a restless little brat, which earned him a firm fist to the head. Zexion simply ignored them.

"This is the lounge," he stated emotionlessly, gesturing towards the room where Luxord was playing a game of poker with Xigbar. The two older men looked up and waved before returning to their game. Lio and Selene exchanged glances, but shrugged; well, Luxord shouldn't be disturbed when he was gambling, and Xigbar was probably intent on beating him in his own game. From what the two glanced before they exited the room, however, Xigbar was failing miserably. Well, Luxord _was_ the Gambler of Fate.

The trio went through a few more areas after that, and met two more members. Lexaeus was in the gym lifting a humongous dumbbell that seemed physically impossible to carry. Apparently, it wasn't, since Lexaeus was doing so right now. On the bench beside him was a Rubik's Cube (solved) and a few assorted mangas, no doubt for when he takes a break. When Zexion introduced them, Lexaeus gave them a curt greeting before returning to his workout. The two didn't mind, of course; he wasn't called the _Silent_ Hero for nothing. Zexion mentioned something about a broken headboard to him, and then they went on their way.

Vexen was in the lab, as expected, and was concocting some sort of potion that Zexion stated was the reason the two were even in the World that Never Was. Vexen gave a lecture on how the thing was supposed to make artificial portals, and then turned back to his work. Apparently, he had already analyzed the reactions that Lio and Selene gave when they found out that they were Nobodies and there was nothing too strange, except they showed a bit more emotion than usual.

Currently, the three nobodies were at the library. Zexion heard Lio groan as Selene displayed the most emotions that she had that evening and was skimming happily through the shelves. She was lingering at the Greek Myth, Astrology, Numerology, and Manga sections, and even pulled out the 20th Naruto book to read the back cover. Zexion didn't mind; he himself considered the library his second-favorite part of the castle, after his room. Lio, on the other hand, looked impatient and seemed to want to go to the next area. When he voiced his thoughts, however, Selene simply glared at him.

"If you're so impatient, then go check out a manga book or something," she stated, and then returned to reading Ibsen's A Doll's House. The two males noted that her facial expression changed from interest to disgust after a minute or so, and put the book back after a while growling, "Torvald Helmer is a sexist pig."

"Is that so?" asked Lio in a bored tone, skimming through the action novels that were on the shelf next to her. "I'm really not in a mood for reading right now, you guys..."

"Restless as ever, I see," sighed Selene, standing up. "I guess that means we're ready for the next area... hey, who's that?" she asked, looking at one of the far tables. Well, she did know who the blond female was, but she had to fake ignorance.

"Larxene, Number XII. I advise that we don't talk to her right now," said Zexion, already at the door. "It's a bad idea to disturb her while she's reading Marquis de Sade." Indeed, she was reading a book by the man whom 'sadism' was named after, and frankly, Larxene herself was quite sadistic. The neophytes quietly snuck out, careful not to disturb the woman.

The three walked a short distance before Zexion stopped again, his nose slightly scrunched up. "And this is the greenhouse, frequently tended to by Marluxia, Number XI. But I get the feeling that he's not the only person in there right now, as I smell something bur—"

"AXEL!!" yelled a voice from within the depths of the plants, which caused Lio to be startled and Selene to raise an eyebrow. "THAT IS THE LAST STRAW, YOU NUMBSKULL! IT TOOK ME MONTHS TO RAISE THAT ROSE BUSH, AND NOW IT'S INCINERATED NO THANKS TO YOU! I'LL NEED TO TEND TO IT FOR ANOTHER YEAR BEFORE IT GOES BACK TO ITS PREVIOUS STATE! GET BACK HERE!"

As if on cue, a grinning redhead came running out of there right at that moment, nearly running into the three others. "Ah, hey, Zexy!" he greeted, before disappearing into a portal. Zexion glared at the spot that Axel was a few seconds before because he had called him 'Zexy'. He didn't get to explain to Lio and Selene what that was all about, as another nobody stormed out of the greenhouse, fuming with a murderous aura about him.

"Zexion!" he growled, summoning his scythe menacingly. "Where is Axel?!" Zexion held in the urge to roll his eyes and simply sniffed the air once.

"The Proof of Existence, but don't count on him staying there for long," the Schemer replied, considering the leak of information payback for the 'Zexy' comment. Marluxia didn't bother thanking him and made a portal out of there that instant, his murderous aura growing by the second. Zexion turned to the two younger ones. Lio was gaping at the previous scene while Selene was shaking her head with a hand on her forehead in pity. "That was Axel," explained Zexion. "Number VIII. He consistently burns Marluxia's plants just to annoy the man, and is best friends with Number XIII."

"I feel sorry for Marluxia," grumbled Selene, before looking up. "Do you think that he'd mind if we take a look inside of the greenhouse?"

Zexion shrugged. "As long as you don't mess with anything, it should be fine. He hates it when people mess with his plants; take the previous scene for example." Selene nodded and entered, a grumbling Lio behind him. Zexion settled himself in a corner of the greenhouse. It had always been a wonder for him how Marluxia could keep plants alive in this world where almost nothing is able to live. Nobodies don't really count, since they are just half of a whole; an imprint that exists, but was not supposed to exist in the first place. Well, if they were nonexistent, then they couldn't be able to hear, talk, smell, see, etc... but they were close to it.

Zexion watched as the girl examined the burnt rose bush critically from different angles, as if trying to figure out a faster way to make it grow. He knew it was useless, however; Marluxia was the flower and plant expert of the organization, and if he decided that it would take about a year to make it grow, it probably will. He heard the boy mutter something about them being there was a waste of time, but Selene whacked him in the head. The Schemer wondered how it was possible for them to show so much emotion; perhaps he had made a mistake in diagnosing them with loss of heart? But that was impossible... they were clearly incomplete, and the imprints of their bodies were present, so they must be missing their hearts. Also, unless their hearts absorbed a lot of darkness beforehand, them being heartless would be impossible, as they were clearly intelligent. Their scents didn't explode with darkness, either.

Whatever it was, those two were not normal. Even if they had the scent of the incomplete, they were not average nobodies.

A portal opened behind him. "What is it, Demyx?" asked Zexion while he turned around, fixing his visible eye at the sitarist emotionlessly.

"Xemnas sent me to give you this," answered the lower-ranked one, grinning as he handed Zexion a few pieces of paper. Demyx was also a mystery to him. He had consistently been able to put up a facade of emotions, and Zexion was quite positive that he was a nobody. Perhaps Nobodies still had traces of emotions within them, or some had more shadows of feelings than others.

Zexion nodded curtly in return without saying anything, and began skimming through the instructions. He was vaguely aware of the fact that Demyx had already made a portal and was out of there, already used to his higher-up's quietness. As Zexion read through the directions, he blinked and raised an eyebrow, especially at the last item. "They are sure to throw a fit," he breathed.

"Who are?" asked a voice behind him. The Schemer turned and found that Selene and Lio were right behind him. Lio had a curious expression on his face while Selene was fuming slightly, most likely at Lio for commenting earlier.

"Nothing," muttered Zexion, straightening up and tucking the papers inside of his pocket (assume that the cloaks have pockets). "Are you two ready to go to the next area?" Both nodded and followed him out the greenhouse. Under his breath, so that the two he was supposed to be taking care of couldn't hear, he mumbled, "I hope nothing disturbing happens today..."

¤-¤-¤-¤

"DEMYX!!"

"And again, I was wrong," sighed Zexion as he watched Selene chase her higher-up around the swimming pool, waving her fists dangerously around. Lio was cowering behind the diving board, not ready to die at Selene's hands should he get in her way of revenge.

¤-¤Very General Recap¤-¤

Half an hour had already passed since the greenhouse incident, and the group had been careful to avoid the still-angry Marluxia who was hunting down Axel (who had escaped the scythe-wielder's clutches again). Their final destination was the pool, which was usually only used by the water-user Demyx, whether it was to pass the time or practice his attacks. Apparently, he had gotten bored and decided to squirt whoever went through the door next with water. When we mean 'squirt', we mean use 'Dance, Water, Dance!' to control the pool water and cause it to crash full-force into the unfortunate soul.

As it turned out, Lio and Selene had gotten into another argument and they refused to be within ten feet of each other. So, Selene was in front of the group, Zexion was giving directions from the middle, and Lio was sulking in the back. As a result, Demyx had played the trick on a not-so-happy Selene, who became covered in chlorine-filled water that stung her eyes a bit. Thankfully, she was able to close her eyes only a millisecond too late. Still, her eyes hurt...

"That is Demyx, Number IX, and the water-controller," stated Zexion in a deadpan tone, cutting into the intimidating silence that was surrounding Selene. Demyx was smart enough to realize that Selene was someone he did _not_ know and was more short-tempered than she looked. Slowly, he backed up but was clumsy enough to trip over a stray kick-board stuck to the ground.

"DEMYX!!"

¤-¤End of Very General Flashback¤-¤

And that brings us to the present. Zexion rolled his eyes in annoyance but he simply sat down on one of the bleachers. Demyx should've known better than to do tricks like that; he would've been in even more trouble if somebody else was there. Sure, Selene could be scary when she was mad (how she was able to be mad, he didn't know), but if the person was say, Saix, Demyx would probably he mutilated by now. And Larxene... Zexion shuddered. He did NOT want to think about what Larxene, the electric sadist who wields ten pointy knives (a.k.a. Kunai) would do to Demyx, the watery loafer who wields a guitar-like weapon (a.k.a. Sitar). Everybody knows that water conducts electricity.

"I swear, that was an accident!" yelled Demyx frantically, diving into the pool in hopes that Selene would be afraid to get her clothes wet. No such luck. Without hesitation, she jumped right into the water and swam after him in a way that reminded Zexion of a shark going after its prey. He may as well say goodbye to Demyx right here.

Lio slowly came out of his hiding spot and joined Zexion, his fear fading into amusement and slight worry for the blonde. Zexion turned to him. "Does she usually do this?"

"When she's mad, yeah," answered Lio, sweat dropping as Selene picked up the pace and Demyx started panicking. "I haven't seen her behave this way for a long time, though, even when she's mad at me. Her murderous auras are usually reserved for the times that she snap."

Zexion turned back to the water scene, and watched as Selene, purely by anger, caught up with Demyx and tried to pound him to a bloody pulp. Seeing that she had no weapon nor element yet, that was near impossible, but those bruises that were forming on Demyx's skin did look like they hurt. Furthermore, she headbutted him. And to think, just fifteen minutes ago, she was calmer than the sea.

"Should we help him?" suggested Lio timidly when he felt the pulsing aura around her not cease. "If this keeps up, I think that there will be few outcomes, and none of them will make any of us happy." Zexion had to agree. Either Selene hits him until he falls unconscious or Demyx loses it, summons his sitar again and floods the whole area.

"I suggest that we should," agreed Zexion, and walked over to the side of the pool closest to their one-sided fight. When Lio realized what Zexion was about to do, it was already too late; the man had summoned his lexicon and hit Selene over the head with it. Ignoring the scandalized looks that Lio was giving him, he lifted up the now-unconscious girl and walked over to her rival. Demyx had gotten safely to the edge as well before he realized that he could have teleported out of the fight and avoided the deal altogether.

"Stop knocking us unconscious with that book of yours, will you?" complained Lio, which earned him a cold glare from the silver-blue-haired man. That shut him up.

"Since Selene here is already unconscious, I may as well show you to your room," stated the older one, and promptly made a portal around himself and the girl he was carrying. Lio hastily followed him through the corridor.

They arrived in front of a normal door with the nobody insignia painted on it. The number "XV" was crossed out and instead, the words "Extra Room" were there. Zexion opened the door. There was a queen-sized bed in the corner (to Lio's surprise), a closet, a shelf, another door that Lio assumed led to the restroom, two desks, a computer on each desk, and a window. "This," stated Zexion, "is your room."

"Kind of plain in here, isn't it?" observed Lio, raising an eyebrow at the lack of color and decorations. "We can buy things to put in here, can't we?"

"Yes; the Superior could care less about those things," answered Zexion with a nod. Lio began to explore the room just for the heck of it, and realized that there wasn't much to explore. There really was nothing there other than the things previously stated; he found a few uniforms in the closet, of course, but the shelves were bare, as were the desks and the restroom. He turned away from the view at the window to find that Zexion was still standing there, but Selene was on his bed.

"Oh yeah, where is Selene going to sleep? I mean, where's her room?" he asked, observing her steady breathing. Zexion sighed and wondered how he should put what the Superior had told him to do in words that wouldn't disturb the boy _too_ much.

"Here," he replied bluntly. Better to get it over with now...

Lio blinked, and Zexion imagined that his simple answer had stimulated a lot of questions in his head. After all, that was probably the last thing that the boy expected... "Wait, I think I heard you wrong. What did you say?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I said that she's sleeping here. You two are sharing a room," replied the man curtly, his mouth twitching. He couldn't help but enjoy this a bit, but he also discreetly moved farther away from Lio, because he was sure that his reaction would be...

"WHAT?!"

Rolling his eyes at Lio's gaping mouth, Zexion simply took out the piece of paper that Demyx had handed him earlier and tossed it to the neophyte, who caught it immediately. With shaking hands, he opened the piece of paper and nearly yelled out in agony when he saw the bottom.

_17.) The two new 'recruits' will have to share a room. Because they are not full members, they have to get half the privileges as well, and thus have to both use Number XV's room._

Ignoring Lio's splutters of protest, Zexion straightened up. "I will wake you two up in the morning tomorrow to help you go through your rounds; your duties start in two days. In the afternoon, we will try and determine your elements and weapons through training and danger simulation. Bye." With that, he created a portal and left a dumbfounded Lio standing there, who was not sure whether he should be indifferent about this or cringe in fear.

Zexion arrived in his own room and sighed; this was a lot more tiresome than he expected. With that, he grabbed a psychology book from his own bookshelf (already filled) and read about the normal teenage mind in order to try and figure out how tomorrow will turn out.

...he should've known to expect the unexpected.

¤-¤-¤-¤

And that's another chapter. This writing style is bothering me... Ah, well, I just needed to get this story out of my head anyway. I would appreciate reviews, though, especially if they could help me improve my writing. Again, alert me of any ooc-ness and if you will, tell me what you think of this fanfic...

I guess I might as well include a preview.

--

_Slowly, Zexion straightened up, his eyebrow twitching. A small trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth, but he was only vaguely aware of it. Selene stared at him and blinked, as if she was still half-asleep... and she probably was._

_Then, without warning, she shouted, "VAMPIRE!" and punched him in the face._

_She was asleep again._

_Zexion made a mental note to never wake her up by himself again and to make her buy an alarm clock that could not be destroyed and would not stop ringing until the person is fully awake._

--

In case you didn't get it, that section was all from the same scene, but it skips some of the information in-between.


End file.
